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Images of the Beshadar people, closely related to the Hamar tribe, in a
traditional Bull-Jumping ceremony in the Omo Valley, South West Ethiopia, 14
December 2007. The b
ull-jumping ceremony is one of the most important in a man's
life, and once completed allows him to take a wife and marry. The Hamar people
and their tribal affiliates conduct a bull-jumping on a regular basis while the
Karo people are much more selective in who they allow to bulljump and jump far
less frequently. The ceremony is about hierachy and membership in the tribe and
typically involves a young man who undergoes a number of rituals before he leaps
onto and runs rapidly over a series of cattle held by other men who have
recently jumped. Once completed he is a man in the eyes of the
tribe. |
